Most and Least Affordable Cities by City Size

Explore how affordability varies by city size around the world. This ranking compares the most and least affordable cities within small, mid-sized, and large population categories, helping you understand how urban scale impacts cost of living. Use the interactive table and map to filter cities by size group and compare Cost of Living Index values. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly small city or evaluating affordability in major global hubs, this page provides a clear, data-driven comparison.

Lowest

Highest

Region Worldwide Europe Northern Europe Western Europe Eastern Europe Southern Europe

Rank	City	Population	Price per month for a nomad	Living Index
31	Krasnoyarsk, Russia	1,092,851	$1,195	57
32	Ufa, Russia	1,075,000	$1,161	55
33	Voronezh, Russia	1,050,602	$1,148	55
34	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1,036,878	$2,503	120
35	Perm, Russia	1,026,908	$937	45
36	Odesa, Ukraine	1,008,852	$820	40
37	Volgograd, Russia	1,004,763	$888	43
38	Stockholm, Sweden	984,748	$2,597	124
39	Naples, Italy	972,212	$1,832	88
40	Dnipro, Ukraine	968,502	$923	44
41	Krasnodar, Russia	948,827	$1,212	58
42	Mallorca, Spain	940,332	$1,624	78
43	Turin, Italy	902,000	$1,796	86
44	Amsterdam, Netherlands	881,933	$3,592	170
45	Marseille, France	873,076	$2,045	98
46	Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain	862,893	$1,616	78
47	Tyumen, Russia	861,098	$1,281	61
48	Saratov, Russia	818,383	$1,149	55
49	Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom	809,000	$2,278	109
50	Valencia, Spain	807,693	$2,090	100
51	Krakow, Poland	806,201	$1,784	85
52	Thessaloniki, Greece	790,824	$1,670	80
53	Zagreb, Croatia	767,131	$1,750	84
54	Leeds, United Kingdom	766,399	$2,246	107
55	Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine	750,685	$713	34
56	Chisinau, Moldova	750,000	$1,326	63
57	Lviv, Ukraine	728,350	$1,044	50
58	Lodz, Poland	711,332	$1,481	71
59	Frankfurt, Germany	701,350	$2,543	122
60	Tolyatti, Russia	685,619	$1,060	51

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update: November 3, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Affordability is based on the Cost of Living Index, which compares average expenses such as housing, food, transportation, and services. Cities are grouped by population size to allow fair comparisons within similar urban categories.

Larger cities often have higher housing demand, stronger job markets, and greater infrastructure costs, which can increase living expenses. Smaller cities may offer lower housing and daily costs but sometimes fewer economic opportunities.

Not always. While small cities are often more affordable, factors like salary levels, job availability, quality of life, and services should also be considered. This ranking helps you compare affordability within each city size category.